Really.
He said this after he’d firmly detached them from the group in a way that appeared he wished for them to have a moment to their newlywed selves. They were far enough away so no one could overhear which meant, to Sonia’s way of thinking, without an audience, he said it with no purpose at all.
But he said it like he meant it.
Maybe, she thought, he was trying to convince himself.
Or maybe her.
Or maybe both of them.
She’d struggled with how to respond then she decided to give him a hug.
This worked. His arms closed around her and he gave her another affectionate squeeze. She made a point to remember that for future reference.
He and Ryon stayed for a while then Ryon gave Callum a look, Callum sighed with resignation, touched his mouth to Sonia’s and they left.
Shortly after, to Sonia’s surprise, Waring arrived at Clear on the errand of loading up Regan’s four bags of purchases even though Sonia lived four blocks away (and Regan and she had walked) and nothing in the bags was that heavy.
Instead of packing up the bags and whisking them away for his dowager queen, he’d had a glass of champagne, managed cheekily to chat up both the enchanted Mabel and Kerry (who were staring at him with an amazement that was almost, but not quite, how they gazed at Callum) then he loaded up Regan’s bags and took them away.
That was when Sonia realized that she’d suddenly acquired a number of new names on her Christmas Gift List and asked Regan if they could go to the mall. Regan’s eyes lit, she instantly pulled her cell out of her big leather designer bag, hit some buttons and said into the phone, “Caleb, Sonia and I need a ride to the mall.”
Why Caleb needed this information, Sonia didn’t know.
It became clear ten minutes later when a shiny SUV pulled up outside Clear. Another man who was obviously one of Callum’s people collected them (to Mabel and Kerry’s delight as he, too, was enormously good-looking). His name was Nikolas. He seemed a bit (but not much) older than Waring but he was far more serious and thus didn’t spend any time drinking champagne or chatting up Mabel or Kerry, much to their obvious dismay.
He took them to the mall where, with Regan’s guidance, Sonia bought Caleb, Calder and Ryon Christmas presents and where she and Regan had a late lunch. This included a lovely, getting-to-know-you-better conversation that, luckily, didn’t include Regan asking about Sonia’s claiming. But, unfortunately, didn’t include Sonia having enough courage to ask Regan about Diana’s open curiosity about the same. Then he took them to the grocery store where Regan bought Sonia and Callum a mountain of very unhealthy food. Then he took them back to Sonia’s house.
When Sonia alighted from the SUV and walked to the back of the vehicle to grab some bags, she heard Regan call her name.
She looked at her mother-in-law who was gazing at Sonia, perplexed.
“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Regan asked.
Sonia, having the handles of two grocery bags in her hand, looked at Regan then at Nikolas then at Regan again.
“What do you mean?” she asked in return for it was readily apparent what she was doing.
Before she knew it, Nikolas had silently rid her of her bags and Regan came forward, tucking her arm through Sonia’s and guiding Sonia toward the house.
Regan’s head got close and she whispered, “Sweetie, you’re queen. In company, queens don’t carry bags.”
At Sonia’s horrified expression, Regan smiled an understanding smile and tugged her closer with a pull on her arm.
“It’s been so very long, I forgot how strange it all was after I’d been claimed. Mac had only been a prince then but still, the life he claimed me into was very different to the simple life I’d lived,” Regan remarked and patted Sonia’s arm with her other hand. “But, I promise, you’ll get used to it like I did.”
Sonia wasn’t sure she would and as the late afternoon wore into the evening she was certain of it.
This was because, when they arrived in the house, she found that Saint, Magnum, Caleb, Ryon and Callum had been joined by Julianna, Saint’s mate. Julianna was a lovely woman with a bright smile and a quiet but friendly manner. She was smaller than most of Callum’s people but still slightly taller than Sonia.
After Sonia met Julianna, while Nikolas carried in all their purchases, Callum claimed her, situating her in his lap and taking a moment to ask about her day.
While he did this, and she answered his quiet questions, Julianna put the groceries away in Sonia’s kitchen.
Listening to Julianna move around in her kitchen, Sonia noticed Regan settle herself with a book on one of the couches in the living room while Nikolas built a fire.
And something about all of this didn’t sit quite right with Sonia.